The Cypress Creek Fire Department, also known as Harris County Emergency Services District 13 (HCESD 13) would like to express its appreciation of ExxonMobil’s donation of $2,000 to the department in April. The donation is part of ExxonMobil’s efforts to support first responders in the areas the company has pipelines in.

Command staff with the Department expressed their gratitude at the time of the donation, which will be used to support Department operations through firefighter recruitment and retention.

Over the next couple days, temperatures are set to fall down to freezing levels. Temperatures in North and West Harris County are expected to get below freezing for extended periods overnight. Per our previous posts on cold weather safety, it is best to practice the “Four P’s” as the cold fronts set in:

People:

Dress in warm clothing, wear coats and gloves when outdoors.

Protect children and the elderly. Never leave them in a cold place or vehicle.

Wind chill is expected to be in the low 20s Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Pets:

Bring your pets indoors.

Provide a warm, safe place for them to eat and sleep.

Pipes:

Prevent frozen pipes and damage to your home by opening the cabinets under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warm air to circulate and warm the pipes.

Insulate outdoor faucets and exposed pipes, and be sure to disconnect and drain hoses from outdoor spigots.

Plants:

We have seen a lot of green-up and bloom due to the rain over the last few weeks. Protect plants from freezing by covering them with plant-cover fabric, or a light blanket with plastic sheeting on top of it.

Hydrate plants early so they can absorb and stay healthy through the cold.

Additionally, there are a few vehicle safety tips to observe during winter weather:

It isn’t all fires and cats up trees for the Cypress Creek Fire Department/Harris County Emergency Services District 13 staff. One of the first steps in dealing with fires is fire prevention, and we take fire prevention very seriously.A resident of Cypress recently reached out to CCFD/HCESD 13 with a unique problem: she had purchased new smoke detectors for her home but had no way to install them. Would it be possible to have someone from the department assist her?

Cypress Creek Fire Department and Harris County ESD 13 were proud to begin 2019 with the new cadet training course, which began January 3rd.

The 11 enrolled students are individuals who have requested to become volunteer firefighters with CCFD but have no prior firefighter certifications. The class will cover the National Fire Protection Association Firefighter 1 and 2 certification objectives, as well as Hazmat Awareness and Operations objectives.

The course will run through June 29th, meeting Thursday evenings and Saturday days; the class is specifically designed to fit into the schedule of a part-time or full-time employed volunteer. The bulk of the academic book work required for this class is accomplished through an on-line training system which is an efficient use of time for someone employed and taking the course, giving them the ability to successfully complete the class by adding schedule flexibility for this section of the required training objectives.

At the end of the class students are eligible to sit for both SFFMA and TCFP certifying examinations.

Ordinarily, if this training were to be received through local community colleges, would cost the prospective volunteer upwards of $3000. Sponsored fully by HCESD 13, CCFD provides the class and instructors, the students provide the desire and sweat equity to earn the certifications. Graduating students pay back the community, which funds the class, through service as volunteer firefighters.

On January 8th, 2019, around 1:40 p.m., Cypress Creek Fire Department (Harris County Emergency Service District #13) responded to a residential fire in the Quail Forest neighborhood off of Grant Road.

The fire began when the homeowner, James Draycott, a retired veteran of HPD, was attempting to remove his Christmas tree from the residence. The tree had dried out after the holiday, and a spark from a popped tree lightbulb ignited the tree. The fire spread quickly due to the location of the tree in the house and the condition of the tree. It quickly rose into the second story and attic areas.

This weekend and again later next week, temperatures are set to fall down to freezing levels. While a hard freeze is unlikely to occur (sustained temperatures under 29 for more than two hours at a time) it is best to practice the “Four P’s” as the cold fronts set in:

On Thursday December 20th, staff from Cypress Creek Fire Department delivered a load of toys that had been donated by our residents for The Salvation Army to brighten the holidays of Harris County children.

This year, The Salvation Army is experiencing a shortage of toys, and every little bit helps. Asst. Chief Blackman and the crew were happy to make the trip to help support area children for the holidays. If you have any toys you would like to donate you can reach out to The Salvation Army’s Captain Jay Ward at 832-499-3211 to find out where they have the most need.

Volunteer's are a critical component of our service delivery. While our volunteers are not burdened with fundraising, training and staffing are significant time commitments. If you are interested in becoming a member of our team or want to know more about what you can do to help please contact us at volunteer@ccvfd.com

Cypress Creek EMS will host multiple classes on National Stop The Bleed Day (March 31).

"Since a person with a severe arterial injury can bleed out and die in as little as three minutes, the key to saving more people injured in a shooting, stabbing, car wreck, home or industrial accident is having someone on the scene who can help while help in on the way or in the case of a mass shooting until help can get to you. Until help arrives, you ARE the help. Bleeding out is the top preventable cause of traumatic death. It’s estimated that 20 to 30 percent of the people who are dying could be saved with earlier intervention."